Hello Garadget community! I am trying to install Garadget with the gate in my condominium community. I am connecting the Garadget directly to the gate remote (eg. the handheld key fob). I need to disable the laser on the Garadget (I don’t care to see if the gate is open or closed, and trying to use the laser would present unnecessary difficulties). Also, I am incorporating the Garadget with my Samsung SmartThings hub so it will automatically open as I approach the condo–the potential problem with this is that I believe it will be hard to get the phone to update the location exactly enough that the gate will open precisely at the right time before closing first and allowing me to drive through. So, I would like to program the Garadget when activated to send an open signal to the gate repeatedly over the course of 1 minute (i.e. send an open signal every 12 seconds for one minute) so that the gate will stay open long enough for me to drive through it.
So to summarize, I am requesting help modifying the firmware to disable the laser and to tell the Garadget that when activated to repeatedly send an open signal for 1 minute. Any help would be appreciated!
Please check out this post for the modified firmware.
For automatic location based commands, please check out this post.
Thank you for the prompt reply. Respectfully, it seems like your reply totally ignores my question though. The modified firmware that you pointed me to I have already seen- I could be wrong but I do not believe using that firmware would achieve what I am trying to do? I do not plan to attach any additional sensors, I just want to remove the laser from the equation. And the second link I do not plan to use IFTTT for location, I am using SmartThings…my questions was on how to have Garadget send a repeat command because of the unreliability of the iPhone GPS
Uploading the referenced firmware even if you don’t have a wired sensor will set Garadget’s state to a known state (open or closed). This is better than laser still enabled while not pointed at the door and sensor reporting unpredictable states.
Regarding repeat commands: Garadget doesn’t send open/close commands, but receives them. If the command is received, it is guaranteed to be handled. The client app (SmartThings hub, IFTTT recipe etc) can issue multiple commands but this can cause unwanted behavior with the state sensor disabled. The issue is that without the sensor working, there is no way for Garadget to know if it needs to “press” the opener’s button or ignore the command.
With the normal sensor operation if the door is open and unit receives the command to close, it will “click” the opener’s button. Later when door is closed, the unit will register that with the sensor. At that time if another “close” command comes in, the unit will ignore it because the door is already in desired state. With the sensor “parked”, one of the commands will always be ignored and another will click the opener’s button each time opening/closing the door each time the command is received. Issuing multiple repeated commands in this setup will make the door reverse the direction multiple times.
Uploading the referenced firmware even if you don’t have a wired sensor will set Garadget’s state to a known state (open or closed). This is better than laser still enabled while not pointed at the door and sensor reporting unpredictable states.
So to clarify you are saying that the idea behind using the modified firmware that you referenced is to set Garadget’s state permanently to closed? Do I set that state myself in the firmware then upload it to the Garadget unit?
The issue is that without the sensor working, there is no way for Garadget to know if it needs to “press” the opener’s button or ignore the command.
Clarification- the gate only has one button; the button will only open the gate. The button does not function to close the gate. When you click the remote, the gate opens and then automatically closes after 10 seconds or so when it no longer senses a car in front of it. My idea of what should happen (if it is feasible) is that when Garadget receives the command to open, it will then “click” the opener’s button repeatedly to keep the gate from closing to give some leeway for the iPhone’s GPS updating and sending the command to the SmartThings hub.
Again, thank you for your help, advice, and more detailed response. Trying to understand the capabilities of Garadget and if this project is feasible with the gate.
Thanks for the info about how the gate button works.
I’d start with the normally closed switch firmware. With nothing connected (contacts open) the door state will always be reported as “closed”.
Sending the “open” command will click the button once, opening the gate. Please try this out and I’ll modify the firmware to issue multiple timed clicks after we have a proof of concept working.
Can do, thank you. I will report back when I have it running.
1 Like